Susan and John at the Jojo-en Barbecue House, Komazawa Park

Susan and John flew from Chicago to see the Red Sox playing at Tokyo
Dome for their season's opening games. We went to the Jojo-en for dinner.
Eat, eat, and eat!




In front of the Jojo-en.








With Hina dolls at home. They
have been waiting for the guests
for about a month.

Cherry blossoms from the Afternoon Tea, Jiyugaoka

Pink, Pink, Pink!

Cherry blossoms are in this season's peak now in Tokyo. Here are fresh
pictures from this mornin at the Komazawa Olympic Park.



Jogging along the blossoms.





Camelia




Interesting combination of cherry and plum blossoms.

Cherry brossoms about 50 % in bloom

Cherry blossom today in my neighborhood.

Graduation Party 2008

After the commencement 2008, the graduation party was held
at a restaurant in Shirogane. Here are some photos of
the graduating class of 2008. They are so grown up in these
four years! It is amazing to see young Japanese becoming
taller and taller every year.

"Bingo!"

Easter music

My colleague invited me to a nice piano recital on this
Easter Sunday afternoon at Toppan Hall in Iidabashi.
Martin Helmchen is a young German pianist who is a
residence artist at the Berlin Concert House. He played
Bach, Messiaen, Schubert, and Liszt. I liked his Bach the
best. It is nice that many talented young artists travel to
Tokyo. Thanks, Joe!

Here is the program:
J. S. Bach, Partita Nr. 6 e-Moll BWV830
Messian, 20 Regards sur L'Enfant-Jesus, estraits
Schbert, Klaviersonate Nr. 20 A-Dur D959
Liszt, Rhapsodie espagnole S254

"Sakura" has just started blooming today in Tokyo!

Cherry blossoms have just started blooming in Tokyo today according to
the National Weatherfocast Board. I found couple of flowers opening
this evening at the Komazawa Olympic Park.


Most of tree brunches look still bare in the evening sky in spite of
some flowers.
Yellow colza is another sign of spring.



I found just one tree with cherry blossoms already in full bloom! This tree
belongs to my neighbor who is a very well-known pop singer.

Spring is surely there -- Plum blossoms 2008

Before cherry blossoms take all over Japan with their gorgeous pink
spreads from Okinawa to Hokkaido, plum blossoms quietly bloom
in early spring with thei brunches with exquisite pink and white flowers.
Here are some of them I found yesterday on my way to a seminar at
Komaba. Just like shy ladies with modest beauty, they are slowly coming
to this year's peak. -- The seminar speaker was Jon Butler from Yale
University. It was impressinve listening to him speak so smoothly
without any notes. Many people showed up in spite of a short notice.












Pussy willow with winter camellia on behind

Oranges

Happy Dolls Day with a Surprise Guest from the Champion Team

Here are the prince and princess dolls for Hinamatsuri
(Girls' Festival).　Can you guess how old they are? They came to
my house on my first　Dolls Day. It means they are as old as I am. . . .
Although they've lost　several pieces of their furniture, weapons, and
music instruments, they　still are in a pretty good shape. The secret
of their beauty must be coming　from their long sleeps; they are out
of boxes only about a couple of weeks a year!


Prince and Princess with three ladies in waiting.

Looks like something special is happening among the dolls
this year . . . .

This year's special guest is Daisuke, the bobble doll, from
the Boston Red Sox!
Happy Dolls day, everyone. Enjoy, dear friends before you go back to
boxes for another year of beauty sleeps.